Handle control for suction cleaners



Jan. 25, 1949.A l R. ci osBoRN 2,460,236

HANDLE onnonron suenos cLEANsns Filed March 9, 1946 Patented Jan. 2s. 41949 1 HANDLE coN'rnor. cLaANE FOB SUCTION l Rs Ralph C. Osborn, Bloomington, Ill., assiznor to 'Eureka Williams Corporation, Detroit, Mich.. a

corporation o! Michigan Application March v9, 1946,.Serial No. 653,411

7 Claims. (Cl. 306-10) This invention relates to handle controls for suction cleaners and has particular reference to a new and simple arrangement whereby the positioning of the handle with respect to the cleaner chassis may be readily controlled.

Heretofore it has been the practice to provide in connection with the handle of a suction cleaner a handle lock and a handle control.- According to the present invention. a normally operative handle lock is constructed and arranged to function both as a handle lock and as a handle position control and a trigger release is associated with the hand grip on the handle whereby the 2 I includes an electric motor driven suction creating fan (not shown) which'is operatively connected to the nozzle I8 of the cleaner for inducing a ow of dirt laden air into the dirt collectingand ltering bag I4, all of which is well' known to the art.

A current conducting cord is connected to the free end of the handle and through the handle to the electric motor of the cleaner for supplying current under the control of a switch indicated at lock may be released to permit free pivoting movementofthe handle during maneuvering of the cleaner. I also contemplate that such trigger may be associated with the switch which controls the circuit for the electric motor of the cleaner so as to provide what might be termed a dead man" control.

Principal objects of the invention, therefore, are to provide:

A vnew and improved handle lock and control for suction cleaners; Y I

A dead man control for suction cleaners;

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there is one' sheet, which, by way of illustration, show apreferred embodiment and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims. I also contemplate that of the several diierent features of my invention, certain ones thereof may be advantageously employed in some applications separate and apart from the remainder of the features.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a cleane embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an en'arged fragmentary sectional view of the free end of the handle; p

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the pivoted end of the handle and of the cleaner hood to which the handle is pivotally connected; and A Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the pivotal connection between the handle and the hood and taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 f As. shown in Fig. 1, a suction cleaner embody--L ing the invention comprises a wheeled chassis I0, a handle I2 pivoted to the chassis or casing I 0, and a dirt collecting and lterlng bag I4. The chassis The chassis includes a hood 24 provided by a die casting or a moulded plastic part, such hood being suitably connected to and forming a part of the wheeled chassis I0. The hood 24 is provided with a pair of spaced parallel ribs 26 which provide a support for a pivot pin or shaft'28 for' the handle, the ends of the pin being suitably secured in openings in the ribs 26..

The handle I2 includes a socket 38, a tubula part or stem 32 and a hand grip 34, all the parts being suitably secured together. The socket 30 includes parallel spaced walls 36 provided 'with bushings 38 which are liournaled on theppin or shaft 28 so as to provide a pivotal mounting for the handle I2 about the axis of the pin 28. The socket 30 projects througha slot 40 in the hood which permits the handle to be pivoted between a horizontal position and a vertical or parked position. The positionfin which the handle is illustrated in Fig. 1 is'in what might be termed an operating position which is between the vertical and horizontal positions just referred to.

The ribs 23 are each providedwith curved surfaces 42 having shoulders 44 and 46 at the end thereof. The shoulders 44 and 46 determine the limits of the pivoting movement of the handle about'its pivotal axis. The center of curvature of the surfaces 42 is the axis of the pin or shaft 28. The surfaces 42 form a part of the frictional locking mechanism which further includes a p locking bar 48 mounted on the end 50 of a rod or bar 52.

The bar-48 is provided with a facing'54 of rubber or other frictional gripping material which bears against the surfaces 42 to lock the handle against pivoting movement about the pin or shaft 28. A spring 56 confined between washers 58 and 60 reacts on the rod 52 to bias the locking bar 48 into frictional locking engagement with the surfaces 42. The washer 58 is seated against the shaft 28, while the washer 60 seats against a pin 62 which projects from both sides of the rod v52. A portion of the rod 52 is enlarged and provided with a slot 64 through which the shaft 28 extends so as to properly. lo-` oted at I0 within the hand grip 34 of the handle. f

OFFICE 3 i The other arm 12 of the bell crank 88 projects through a slot in the hand grip Il and comprises a trigger or actuatingmember by means of which the fingers of an operator's hand holding the hand grip 34 may, by pressing on the trigger 12, pivot the bell crank 6B in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 10 and move the rod 52 in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 2 against the force of the spring 56, so as to release the locking bar 48 from engagement with the locking surfaces 42 thereby to permit free pivotal movement of the handle i2.

In the position in which the parts are shown in the drawings, the locking bar 48 is frictionaliy engaged with the locking surfaces I2. Such frictional locking engagement will be released. however, whenever -the trigger 12 is actuated, as previously described.

The switch 22 may be of the type which is normally open and is provided with an actuating member 80 positioned in the path of a pin 82 on the rod 52 so that whenever the trigger 12 is actuated, the pin B2 will through the actuating member 80 close the switch contacts so as to cause the suction cleaner to operate. Thus, whenever the trigger 12 is released, the motor circuit will be open and the handle I2 will be locked in the position in which it was at the time that the trigger 12 is released. The dead man control thus provided may be employed if desired, although I contemplate that it may be used independently of -the handle lock and control arrangement herein disclosed and vice versa.

The switch 22 is suitably mounted in the handle tube 32. From the foregoing, it will be evident that when the trigger 12 is released that the handle lock will be engaged as the spring 56 normally actuates the locking mechanism to its operative or engaged position.

While I have illustrated 'and described apreferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the Drecise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a suction cleaner, a wheeled chassis having a handle pivoted thereto, said chassis having a curved surface whose center of curvature is the pivotal axis of said handle on the cleaner, a locking bar arranged parallel to said pivotal axis and movable with the handle in its pivoting movement about said axis and frictionally engageabie with said surface to lock said handle against pivoting movement, spring means operable for biasing said locking -bar into frictional locking engagement with any part of said surface to lock said handle in a selected position relative to said chassis, said handle having a hand grip. a manually operable trigger associated with said hand grip and a connection between said trigger and bar for releasing the frictional locking engagement between said bar and surface -to permit pivoting movement of said handle only when said trigger is actuated.

2. In a suction cleaner, a wheeled chassis having a hood with a pair of ribs, a shaft carried by said ribs, a handle pivoteci to said shaft. said pair of ribs providing curved surfaces, a locking member movable with the handle in its pivoting movement about said axis and engageabie with said surfaces to lock said handle against pivoting movement. spring means operable for biasing said member into locking engagement with any part of said surfaces to lock said handle in a selected position relative to said chassis, said handle having a hand grip, a manually operable trigger associated with said hand grip and a connection between said trigger and member for releasing the locking engagement between said member and surface to permit pivoting movement of said handle only when said trigger is actuated.

3. In a suction cleaner, a wheeled chassis having a handle pivoted thereto, said chassis having spaced walls defining curved locking surfaces, a' locking bar movable with the handle in its pivoting movement about said axis and arranged parallel to said axis and having a friction facing frictionally engageabie with said surfaces to lock said handle against pivoting movement, spring means operable for biasing said bar into frictional locking engagement with any part of said surfaces to lock said handle in a selected position relative to said chassis, said handle having a hand grip, a manually operable trigger associated with said hand grip and a connection between said trigger and bar for releasing the frictional locking engagement between said bar and surfaces to permit pivoting movement of said handle only when said trigger is actuated.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said curved surface is provided with shoulders at the ends thereof which are positioned to be engaged by said locking bar upon pivotal movement of said handle to limit the range of pivotal movement thereof.

5. In a suction cleaner a wheeled chassis having a shaft, a handle pivotally mounted on said shaft, the free end of said handle being arranged for swinging movement rearwardly and downwardly from a vertical position to an operating position, members arranged at the side of the 40 handle pivot having curved surfaces whose center curvature is the axis of said shaft, a locking bar arranged parallel to said shaft and mounted `on said handle so as to be movable therewith in its pivoting movement about said shaft and arranged for locking engagement with said curved surfaces, spring means biasing said locking bar into engagement with said curved surfaces so as to lock said handle relative to said chassis, said handle having a hand grip. a manually operable lever associated with said hand grip, and a connection between-said grip and locking bar for releasing the same from engagement with said surfaces so as to permit pivoting movement of the handle on said shaft.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said connection extends through said handle and is provided with a shoulder and said spring is confined between said shaft and shoulder.

7. In a suction cleaner a wheeled chassis having a'shaft, a handle pivotally mounted on said shaft, the free end of said handle being arranged for swinging movement rearwardly and downwardly from a vertical position to an operating position, members arranged at the side of the handle pivot having curved surfaces whose center of curvature is the axis of said shaft, a locking bar arranged parallel to said shaft and mounted on said handle so as to be movable therewith in its pivoting movement about said shaft and arranged for locking engagement with said curved surfaces, springl means biasing said locking bar into engagement-with said curved surfaces so as to lock said handle relative to said chassis, said handle having a hand grip, and a lever connected with said locking bar and 5 operable for releasing the same from engage- Number ment with said surfaces so as to permit pivoting 1,171,738 movement of thehandle on said shaft. 1,573,467 RALPH C. OSBORN. 1,626,036 5 2,243,067 REFERENCES CITED 2,304,745 The following references are of record in the 2397537 le of this patent:

` UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Number Name Date 6.253 Nahr June 15, 1915 6 Name Date Mallet Feb. 15, 1916 Wiehle Feb- 16, 1926 Higgins Apr. 26, 1927 Berg May 27, 1941 Wied Dec. 8, 1942 Coss Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS.

Country Date Great Britain Mar. 26, 1895 

